Following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy a tree was cleared from a home in Long Island, but not just any home. This house belongs to the director of the State Office of Emergency Management, Steve Kuhr, who has since lost his job due to this particular tree.

Kuhr used his position to have government workers move a tree that fell on his property in East Northport while he was working in Albany. He allegedly told crews in Suffolk Country, who were in high demand at the time, to clear the tree from his driveway.

Governor Andrew Cuomo recognized this, as did many, as an abuse of his power which resulted in Kuhr receiving the boot just before a nor'easter descended on New York. When asked about the decision Cuomo said, “When we found out about it, we fired him immediately.”

The governor has been praised for making an example of the former director and firing him on the spot. However, the real question is, how significant was Kuhr to the recovery effort? If he can be let go in between two devastating storms and no one notices, than what does the director of the State Office of Emergency Management really do?

It has even been reported by aides in the governor's office that Kuhr's termination will not affect the cleanup of the hurricane. While Kuhr was not the senior aide to Cuomo with regard to the recovery effort, his salary makes it seem like he was.

Kuhr was making $153,000 annually, according to the Daily News, filling the role of directing the state's emergency management, where he was not in charge of the overall recovery and seemingly only got one tree moved – the one from his own property

As people begin to worry about not having heat, electricity or running water, it's nice to hear that there are public officials with six figure salaries that don't really play a vital role in doing what they are payed for.

The governor keeps asking for money from the federal level for relief. He may just want to look around Albany and make some cuts.